Spanish ombudsman calls for total ban on gambling ads
Ban on celebrity endorsements and further restrictions on ad timeslots also recommended
Spain’s citizen rights ombudsman, Francisco Fernández Marugán, has backed calls for restrictions on gambling adverts in Spain, calling for an all-out ban on gambling ads.
Marugán, who advises the Spanish government on matters of public policy, said all ads on TV, radio and online should be banned, except for lottery and betting services being offered by the Spanish Association for the Blind (ONCE).
The Spanish regulator, General Directorate of Game Management (DGOJ), previously implemented wide-ranging restrictions on gambling ads and sponsorships in October 2018.
Later in October, the Spanish government said it would introduce heavy restrictions on gambling ads as part of its 2019 budget, bringing them into line with the rules for alcohol and tobacco advertising, but stopped short of a total ban.
If the Spanish government elects to not pursue a blanket ban, Marugán has said that celebrity endorsements of gambling operators should be prohibited, while also calling for the greater restriction of available timeslots for gambling ads on TV.
The ombudsman recommends that existing Spanish laws concerning commercial communications and responsible gambling activities be amended and adjusted to include online gaming.
Highlighting the similarities between gambling and drug/alcohol addiction, the ombudsman said advertising of gambling should not be protected by existing freedom to advertise rules, calling it a matter of public health.
As such, Marugán recommended that a regulatory review of current Spanish licensees should take place together with a review of the types of infringements and sanctions currently being used by the DGOJ, with a view to strengthening both. Finally, the ombudsman recommended that in the case of very serious sanctions, operator licences should be withdrawn.